Included in Build Interface Screenshots for Ships

[Grey Roger]

"PO_Neptunus" doesn't have as much exposed white hull as "US_SotL" two spaces to the left, and anyway it's not the white which is bright, it's the yellow upper hull. But it does have a different sky to most of the others, so my guess is that the screenshot was taken at a later time of day so the sun is low and shining straight at the ship's side. If I'm after a screenshot, I usually save game while on worldmap, wait until it's about midday, go to 3D sailing and hope it's clear weather. If not, I switch between worldmap and 3D sailing a few times in the hope of clearer sky before it gets too late in the day, and if a storm shows up then I reload the savegame.

The point is, "PO_Neptunus" looks different to surrounding portraits and has been accepted for years, so it's evidently not a major issue if a portrait doesn't quite match its neighbours. There's also a fair amount of variety in ship orientation, proportion of sea to sky, and colour of sea, so when getting the screenshot it's not essential to get precise positioning and lighting. (There's another portrait in one of the other files which was definitely taken near sunset because the sun is visible behind the ship. And the shot of Sao Feng's junk probably needs to be redone, partly because it shows basic pirate flags rather than the dainty personal flag for Sao Feng, and partly because it's facing the wrong way. )

 

[Pieter Boelen]

Anyway, I'm not going to fuss over this.

^ Well, as I said....

 

[Pieter Boelen]

We have three more interface screenshots to be added for the upcoming update. See attached.

@Grey Roger: Would you see chance to add those before Sunday? Then we can have this ship set up fully correctly in the next update.

@Hylie Pistof: Please let me know if you approve of these particular pictures.
They're based on the last version I had, assuming that any extra changes you make won't reflect very obviously on those small pictures.

 

[Grey Roger]

I'll see if I can add them along with pictures for variants of the US topsail schooner.

What period is this ship supposed to be in? Judging by the Spanish flag, it's one of the earlier periods. But it has the dark red hull of a "Revolutions" or "Napoleonic" ship. Earlier ships tend to have hulls which look more like unpainted wood - look at "SP_LightPinnace", for example.

And the French one is flying a Personal flag. Perhaps get a screenshot of it with a French flag?

 

[Pieter Boelen]

And the French one is flying a Personal flag. Perhaps get a screenshot of it with a French flag?

@Hylie Pistof was pretty adamant that she be Milady's starting ship, which is quite fine by me.
So I deliberately put Milady's personal flag in her mast, just because.

What period is this ship supposed to be in?

Good question. At the moment, these are her period encounter chances:

   //Period
   refShip.period.0 = 0.0; //
   refShip.period.1 = 0.0; //
   refShip.period.2 = 0.9; //
   refShip.period.3 = 0.5; //
   refShip.period.4 = 0.4; //
   refShip.period.5 = 0.0; //

The real ship was from 1688.

This does pose the question of how can Milady (1625) have her in The Spanish Main (1600-1679) when the ship only appears in Golden Age of Piracy?
But I asked Hylie about that already. As far as I'm concerned, a special starting character getting a special ship should not be much of a problem.

Judging by the Spanish flag, it's one of the earlier periods. But it has the dark red hull of a "Revolutions" or "Napoleonic" ship. Earlier ships tend to have hulls which look more like unpainted wood - look at "SP_LightPinnace", for example.

Those three paint schemes were the ones made by @Rider88; indeed the Napoleonic black-and-red does seem a bit weird in earlier time periods.
We could have the "SP_CastelF" show up later than those other two variations.
If you've got any suggestions on how best to put this one to use, I'm all ears.

I made those screenshots while playing as Milady in The Spanish Main.

 

[Hylie Pistof]

In the early periods the dominant color was black becasue the ships were all coated with pitch, so it is the other colors that are odd actually. And since it turns out that this is actually a very small ship that has gotten much larger and better armed she can be put in the earlier period just fine. Perhaps the stay sails should be removed, and they didn't use spankers back then................ Or we could just say it's her ship and that's that.

 

[Pieter Boelen]

If we make the "FR_CastelF" into a quest-only ship, that would cover that part.
Would be a bit of a waste for the other two skins though,

 

[Pieter Boelen]

@Grey Roger: If you want to see this new ship model, you can find all three versions here: http://www.piratesahoy.net/threads/list-of-fixes.21176/page-32#post-529598
The 10 Jan 2016 modpack update contains one of the three skins, but not all of them.

 

[Grey Roger]

If we make the "FR_CastelF" into a quest-only ship, that would cover that part.
Would be a bit of a waste for the other two skins though,

There's no reason why all the variants can't stay available for general use from "Golden Age" onwards. Milady has presumably stolen a prototype which is how she gets it 60 years before it exists. But for general use, e.g. for an interface picture which will show up in shipyards as a repaint option for the other two, I suggest using a standard French flag.

Several Spanish ships in "Golden Age" have varying amounts of dark red, the most red probably being "SP_Neptunus". So the dark red scheme can probably stay, though it would look inconsistent with "Spanish Main" - compare "SP_Neptunus" with "SP_NeptunusE", for example. This is another reason for keeping the period encounter chances as they are - it looks reasonable for "Golden Age" onwards but not for "Spanish Main". This also means the only person using the ship in "Spanish Main" is Milady - you get a unique ship if you're playing her, and you won't encounter it on the high seas if you're playing anyone else.

Meanwhile, here are the interface portraits for the Dutch and Spanish versions. I've no idea which of the "ShipsXX.tga" files of portraits you want them in, let alone where in the relevant picture, but you ought to be able to paste these into one and then edit "pictures.ini" accordingly. If you can provide a shot of "FR_CastelF" under a French flag (merchant or naval, it doesn't matter as the ship is "versatile") then I'll do the same for that.

 

[Pieter Boelen]

But for general use, e.g. for an interface picture which will show up in shipyards as a repaint option for the other two, I suggest using a standard French flag.
[...]
If you can provide a shot of "FR_CastelF" under a French flag (merchant or naval, it doesn't matter as the ship is "versatile") then I'll do the same for that.

Aww, you really don't like that Milady flag then, do you?
I can make new screenshots for all three in a later time period if you insist.
But it will have to be tonight and not earlier.

I've no idea which of the "ShipsXX.tga" files of portraits you want them in, let alone where in the relevant picture, but you ought to be able to paste these into one and then edit "pictures.ini" accordingly.

I don't care what file they're in; as long as they use an empty spot and I know which file and spot they use, it doesn't matter.
The ships_init.c entries can be made to match with whatever you end up doing.

 

[Grey Roger]

Aww, you really don't like that Milady flag then, do you?
I can make new screenshots for all three in a later time period if you insist.

I like Milady's flag - remember who designed it. But it's a specific personal flag and shouldn't be in a general interface shot.

I don't care what file they're in; as long as they use an empty spot and I know which file and spot they use, it doesn't matter.
The ships_init.c entries can be made to match with whatever you end up doing.

OK, they're going into "ShipsBL" as there are three vacant slots right up in the top left corner.

Incidentally, remember what happens when I'm made aware of a ship? (Such as Soleil Royal.) Something "versatile" in Spanish service in "Golden Age" with minimum crew 20, maximum crew 85 is definitely of interest...

 

[Pieter Boelen]

I like Milady's flag - remember who designed it.

But it's a specific personal flag and shouldn't be in a general interface shot.

I suppose... I figured to put it on there, possibly to make people curious about "why is that there".
And if they do ask, we've got a good answer ready.

Anyway, since you insist, I'll make some new ones tonight.

OK, they're going into "ShipsBL" as there are three vacant slots right up in the top left corner.

Incidentally, remember what happens when I'm made aware of a ship? (Such as Soleil Royal.) Something "versatile" in Spanish service in "Golden Age" with minimum crew 20, maximum crew 85 is definitely of interest...

If you can put them to good use somewhere, by all means GO FOR IT!
It is always better to have new ships actually incorporate for starting characters, navy promotions and/or quest use.

 

[Grey Roger]

Updated "shipsBL.tga.tx", "Ships_init.c" and "pictures.ini" are now on the FTP site:
Index of /potc/Grey Roger

 

[Pieter Boelen]

Updated "shipsBL.tga.tx", "Ships_init.c" and "pictures.ini" are now on the FTP site:
Index of /potc/Grey Roger

Is that with all three as placeholders then? Thanks! At least that is better than nothing; I'll make updated ones tonight.

 

[Grey Roger]

I've used all three of the shots you supplied. Check with "ConvertorTX" - as far as I can see, all three should be visible, and if I got the entries in "Ships_init.c" and "pictures.ini" correct then they should show up as interface pictures. The Dutch one is fine as is; the Spanish one is alright unless you want to change the texture to make it more like other ships of the "Golden Age" period - but then it is also to appear in later periods, when the dark red is more in fashion, and it's not entirely inconsistent in "Golden Age" so it's probably fine as well. So it's just the French one which could do with a new picture under a French flag.

@Hylie Pistof: you may want to revisit "common.ini" as well as add an entry into "ShipModels_descriptions.txt". The former is the basic description of the ship, e.g. this is what translates ship ID "SchoonerMod" into description "Topsail Schooner". "ShipModels_descriptions.txt" is the more detailed description, e.g. for the Polacca it says "A seventeenth-century sailing vessel, similar to the xebec. She has three single-pole masts and a shallow draught. Bearing a weathered plain wood colour scheme." At the moment the entry in"common.ini" is just "CastelF" and I don't see "ShipModels_descriptions.txt" in your Dropbox folder.

 

[Pieter Boelen]

@Hylie Pistof: you may want to revisit "common.ini" as well as add an entry into "ShipModels_descriptions.txt". The former is the basic description of the ship, e.g. this is what translates ship ID "SchoonerMod" into description "Topsail Schooner". "ShipModels_descriptions.txt" is the more detailed description, e.g. for the Polacca it says "A seventeenth-century sailing vessel, similar to the xebec. She has three single-pole masts and a shallow draught. Bearing a weathered plain wood colour scheme." At the moment the entry in"common.ini" is just "CastelF" and I don't see "ShipModels_descriptions.txt" in your Dropbox folder.

Indeed those are still missing.
In my installation, I have them displaying with the "Brigantine" ship type instead of "CastelF".
Not sure if a more custom name would be required.

And indeed a text description for the ship is still needed.
I can think of something myself, but it would be better if a more historically inclined person comes up with something appropriate.

 

[Hylie Pistof]

CastelF is just a place holder until something better is thought of. You don't see that entry in my folder because I didn't know it existed until just now.

 

[Pieter Boelen]

@Hylie Pistof: If you can think of a good type name and ship description, I can take care of adding that in the game.
If you don't know a type name, I'll just make it "Brigantine".
I do need a short description of sorts though for the Repaint and Select Storyline interfaces.

 

[Pieter Boelen]

@Hylie Pistof and @Grey Roger: I've got two versions of this ship's period encounter chances now:

  //Period
   refShip.period.0 = 0.0; //
   refShip.period.1 = 0.0; //
   refShip.period.2 = 0.9; //
   refShip.period.3 = 0.5; //
   refShip.period.4 = 0.4; //
   refShip.period.5 = 0.0; //

And:

  //Period
   refShip.period.0 = 0.0; //
   refShip.period.1 = 0.5; //
   refShip.period.2 = 0.9; //
   refShip.period.3 = 0.5; //
   refShip.period.4 = 0.0; //
   refShip.period.5 = 0.0; //

Which will it be? I think I'm going with that second one for now as that is the latest by Hylie.
That shifts her appearance one period earlier. Let me know if I should reconsider.

 

[Pieter Boelen]

I've written some placeholder ship descriptions:

FR_CastelF{The original 'Castell Friedrichsburg' was built in 1688.
This one bears a French blue and gold paint scheme.}
NL_CastelF{The original 'Castell Friedrichsburg' was built in 1688.
This one bears a Dutch green and gold paint scheme.}
SP_CastelF{The original 'Castell Friedrichsburg' was built in 1688.
This one bears a Spanish black and red paint scheme.}

If anyone has any suggestions for updates to that, I'm all ears.
If not, then this is better than nothing.